David O’Meara’s Summerghand leaves it late to deny Commanche Falls and win Ayr Gold Cup under Danny Tudhope

The eight-year-old, trained at Upper Helmsley by David O’Meara and ridden by Scots-born, Thirsk-based Danny Tudhope, landed his 15th-career win in the prestigious six-furlong handicap.

Speaking to The Yorkshire Post last month, the rider, from Irvine just down the road from Ayr, said connections felt Summerghand “still has a nice one in him” as he had dropped down the weights – and he promptly went out an beat Commanche Falls in the Sky Bet Constantine Handicap at York.

After finishing fifth at Newmarket a week later, Summerghand (12-1) was back in the winners’ enclosure on Saturday after denying Michael Dods’ horse (10-1) back-to-back Gold Cup wins – and a rare double with the Stewards' Cup he won in July.

The first two home have run over 90 times between them over the course of their respective careers and it was the winner's 15th victory on his 71st start.

O'Meara was picking up his second Ayr Gold Cup to add to Louis The Pious' victory in 2014 and he told ITV Racing: "He's been with me a long time and he's an old legend isn't he? He's run here a good few times and hit the woodwork a bit.

" He's an absolute legend,” he said of the horse who scooped £77,000 in prizemoney to take his career earnings to just shy of £500,000.

"Liam Heard rides him out every day and I don't really gallop him. Like a lot of these good sprinters, they don't need a lot of work.

“He runs quite frequently and sort of looks after himself.

"He loves the game and it was a great ride by Danny, I think they were saying it's been over 50 years since a Scottish jockey has won this race."

In a heat with plenty of Yorkshire entries, the county’s next best finisher was John Quinn’s Mr Wagyu in fifth and Bergerac in sixth for Kevin Ryan.

Meanwhile, St Leger-winning trainer Roger Varian bagged an incredible an incredible 34,838-1 across-the-card seven-timer on Saturday afternoon.

The sensational Sakheer was the undoubted highlight when plundering Newbury's feature Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes in imperious fashion in the same KHK Racing Ltd colours as Varian's Doncaster champion Eldar Eldarov.

Varian won the Group two contest in 2019 with Pierre Lapin, but that colt was all speed and was later seen contesting the Commonwealth Cup as a three-year-old.

Sakheer, however, looks to have that Classic blend of speed and enough stamina to point towards Newmarket and the Rowley Mile next May where the talented son of Zoffany could bid to give Varian back-to-back Classics in the 2000 Guineas.

"It's been an amazing week with the St Leger and now all these winners in a flash. You don't expect that to happen, and especially on a day when the racing is so competitive," said Varian, who saw Dusky Lord (14-1) win the Ayr Silver Cup under Jack Mitchell.